Locked out of an HDB flat
Do not drill the door. If someone inside is in danger, call 995. If it is only a lock, the published hardware visits are hinge work at S$60 to S$120 and, where a fire door allows it, a digital-lock fit at S$180 to S$320.
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Danger, then the door, then the price
HDB main doors are often fire-rated. A hole that the fire statement does not allow is a damaged fire door, not a clever entry. The digital-lock guide prices a fit of a lock you bought at S$180 to S$320 only when the detail allows it, and supply-and-fit at S$280 to S$450. Door alignment is S$60 to S$120.
Have proof you live there before you ask anyone to open it. A corridor offer to drill first is the expensive mistake. Life-threatening fire, a gas fire, or someone who cannot breathe: SCDF 995. A suspected piped-gas leak, from a safe distance: City Energy 1800 752 1800. An electricity supply interruption that is the building, not one tripped RCCB: SP Group 1800 778 8888. Water supply, quality or pressure from the mains: PUB 1800 225 5782.
Homey Furnishing Pte. Ltd. (ACRA UEN 202018148K) carries permit-exempt housekeeping, proofing and handyman work. V On Construction Pte. Ltd. (ACRA UEN 201611708H) carries any scope that needs an HDB renovation permit. Homey Furnishing is not a MOM-licensed employment agency and does not publish an agency fee.
Checklist
- If a person inside is at risk, call 995.
- Do not drill. Do not pay someone who starts with a drill.
- Check whether another occupant, the Town Council, or your spare key is the faster legal way in.
- Once in, photograph the edge and book the door or digital-lock page that matches the hardware.
Use these published bands
S$60 to S$120 alignment, S$120 to S$220 for an HDB toilet PD pivot, S$180 to S$320 to fit a suitable digital lock you bought. No night surcharge is published here.
Locked out of an HDB flat: access and preparation
Locked out of an HDB flat has to respect the door. Many HDB and condo main doors are fire-rated. A lock that needs a hole the fire statement does not allow can void the rating even when the door still closes. Bedroom doors and metal gates are different products.
A lock you already bought is a fit, if the door allows it. Supply and fit is a different row where this page publishes one. A gate, a glass door and a fire door are not one price. Condo by-laws may require the original look.
- Photo of the door edge and the gate gap
- Door thickness if you can measure it
- Say if you already bought the lock
- Do not drill ahead of the visit
- Note HDB, condo or landed
What Locked out of an HDB flat includes
Locked out of an HDB flat has to respect the door. Many HDB and condo main doors are fire-rated. A lock that needs a hole the fire statement does not allow can void the rating even when the door still closes. Bedroom doors and metal gates are different products.
Measure the door thickness and the gap to the metal gate. Under about 65mm, a thick handle fouls the gate. Photograph the door edge, the closer, and any fire label. A 9V or USB-C jump-start is the plan when corridor humidity kills the batteries. Do not drill first.
Homey Furnishing Pte. Ltd. (ACRA UEN 202018148K), 27 Mandai Estate, #06-10 Innovation Place, Singapore 729931, carries permit-exempt work. V On Construction Pte. Ltd. (ACRA UEN 201611708H), listed on the HDB Directory of Renovation Contractors, carries any scope that needs an HDB renovation permit.
Plan Locked out of an HDB flat
Confirm whether the leaf is a fire door before choosing a mortise.
Measure thickness and the gate gap.
Fit only a lock the fire detail allows. Stop if the closer would be removed.
Test the code, the thumb-turn, and the jump-start from outside.
| Access | HDB | Condo | Landed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire door | HDB main doors are often fire-rated. SS 332 and SCDF rules apply. | Condo entrance doors can be rated too. Ask the MCST before a new bore. | A landed front door may not be a fire door. Confirm before you assume it is free to drill. |
| Gate | The metal gate gap decides the handle. | The same measurement. Common corridors are humid. | A gate motor is an autogate job, not a digital-lock bore. |
| Tenancy | Photograph original holes. Reinstatement is a separate line where it is published. | The landlord and the MCST may both want the original ironmongery. | A landed lease still wants the original lock back if the contract says so. |
- Photo of the door edge and the gate gap
- Door thickness if you can measure it
- Say if you already bought the lock
- Do not drill ahead of the visit
- Note HDB, condo or landed
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I call 995 because I forgot my key?
No. 995 is for fire and life-threatening emergencies. A forgotten key with nobody in danger is a hardware problem, not SCDF.
Can the door be drilled?
Not as a first move on a fire-rated leaf. Follow the digital-lock guide before any new hole.
What is the hinge price?
S$60 to S$120 for alignment or hinge tightening, from the door-repair page.
Can any lock be fitted for locked out of an hdb flat?
No. A fire-rated door keeps the holes its fire statement allows. Homey Furnishing Pte. Ltd. UEN 202018148K will stop rather than void the rating.
Does a lock need an HDB permit?
A like-for-like lock on the existing leaf does not. Changing the door or the frame can. The fire rating still applies either way.
What if the batteries die?
Use the published jump-start, a 9V terminal or USB-C, from outside. Do not drill the keypad off.